Horseshoe calk



June 12, 1923.

- J. H FREEMAN HORSESHOE CALK Filed March 29, 1922 HHHH ATTO R N EVPatented June 12, 1923.

STATES JOSEPH H. FREEMAN, or snroxsnmnx, LEENNSYLVANIA.

HORSIESHOE CALK.

To cZZw/zomit may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr HFFREEMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Shickshinny, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Horseshoe Calk, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to horseshoe calks and particularly to detachablecalks.

able horseshoe calk which may be easily] formed by forging the samesingly or in pairs for attachment to the toe of the shoe; the heel ofthe shoe, of course, receiving single calks, the said calks havingexpansib'le and contractible tenons for automatically interlocking intopeculiarly formed sockets located at the toe and the heel of said shoe,and having beveled or tapering recesses at each side for the receptionofthe spaced prongs of a special tool, by means of which the singlecalkior the double or twin form of calk may be pried fromits seat in thesocketsa arranged side by sideand extendshoe.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained froma consideration of the following detailed description, taken :inconnection with the accompanying drawingforming a part of thisspecification; it being understood that while the drawing shows apractical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to strictconformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, solong as such changes or modifications mark no material departure fromthe salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designatecorresponding parts throughout the several figures Figure 1 is aninverted plan view of a horseshoe provided with the improved calks; 1 v

The object is to provide a calk to be used PATENT oFFlcE. a

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the shoe in i the position assumed whilein use;

F 1g. 3 1s a transverse. sectional view through the toe of the shoe andshowing a pair of spaced toe calks in position therein;

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of a single calk applicable for useat the toe or the heel of the shoe and formed with a relatively sharpedge for use in slippery weather; I

Fig. ,5 is a similar view of a calk constructed for use in dry weather;

Fig. 6 is a face view of a double or twin form of calk;

Fig. 7 is a detail elevation of one of the heel portionsof the shoe andshowing the method of applying a specialtool forremoving the calk; and IFig. 8 is a perspective view of the special tool for detaching thecalks:

The horseshoel, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, may assume anyof the shapes in common use, and is preferably provided in each branchor arm of the same with a thickened portion 2 adjacent to the heel endsand on the under side of the shoe, and in like manner the front or toeof the shoe is provided with a'centrally disposed enlargement 3extending downwardly from the under face of the same, the shoe beingstraight and flat on itsupperface.

The front or toe'enlargement 3 extends transversely of the centralportion of the shoe and is provided with a pair of spaced ing throughthe shoe, and in like manner the rear terminal of each branch or arm is1 sockets converge upwardlytowards theupper faceof the shoe soas to forma wedgeshaped seat for the interfitting and locking portions of thecalks, as will be described.

At the upper end, each socket is provided, in its longitudinallydisposed walls, with opposed outwardly and upwardly flaring walls 5 intowhich are adapted tobe seated certain portions of the calks for lockingthe same intopositionon the shoe, and the parts, as thus far described,constitute all of the features necessary to be incorporated into theshoe proper.

Adapted to be seated into any one of the sockets 4 formed at the toe orthe heel of the shoe is a calk 6, which may be readily formed by asimple process of forging to comprise a base portion 7 preferably flatacross its front face and having its rear edge 8 rounded, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4. The base portion is provided with an extension 9, forengagement with the ground, and the said extension may be of the formshown in Fig, 4, wherein the rear side of the extension is concave, asat 10, to provide a relatively sharp contacting surface or edge at itslower end,'to be used in wet or slippery weather; or the said extensionmay be as wide'as the base portion 7 as indicated at 9 in Fig. 5, thelatter form constituting a blunt calk for use in dry weather.

In either form of the calk, the upper end of the body portion 7 isequipped with a normally upstanding tenon 11, rectangular incross-section, and having its four sides tapering towards the top, inaccordance with the walls of the sockets 4, into which the same isadapted to be fitted.

The tenons 11 are arranged, with relation to the base portion 7 with oneof their walls substantially coextensive with one wall of the same, thusproviding at the opposite side a shoulder 12 which, when the tenon ofthe calk is fitted in the socket 4, is adapted to bear on the lower faceof either the enlargement 2, at the heel-of the shoe, or the enlargement3 at the toe thereof, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The upper end of the tenon is provided on its longitudinal sides withoutwardly projecting inclined walls 13, extending from the front to therear thereof and adapted, when the tenon is fitted into one of thesockets 4, to snugly fit the inclined Walls 5 thereof, with the upperend of the tenon flush with the upper face of the shoe 1. In order topermit of this seating of the enlarged end of the tenon into the seatformed by the walls 5, the tenon is further provided at its upper endwith a bifurcation 14, preferably tapered or I V-shaped, extendingsubstantially half the length of said tenon and providing legs capableof being flexed or forced toward each other when driven with suflicientforce into the socket, and allowing the enlargements 13 of the tenon tograduallybe-nd toward each other, while under pressure, and to spring orsnap outwardly into the seat provided by the tapered walls 5 of thesocket, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The upper face of the base portion ,7 of the calk at either side of thetenon is oppositely inclined, as indicated at 15, so that when the calkis driven into its seat in the socket, a tapered or wedge-shapedrecessis provided at each side of the calk for the introduction of the spacedtapering prongs 16 of a tool 17 to be used in. detaching the calks fromthe shoes,as illustrated in Fig. 7. This tool, illustrated in Fig. 8,may consist,- as stated, in the spaced prongs 16 which may be formedintegrally'with and project laterally from the shank of the tool, thesame being extended to one side to form a convenient handle 18. Inapplying the tool, it is only necessary to introduce the tapered ends ofthe prongs into the tapered recesses formed between the inclined walls15 of the calk and the lower side of the shoe, with one of the prongs ateither side, andthis may be done either from the front or the rear ofsaid calk. By hammering on the shank 1 7 of the tool at a point in aline with the calk, it will be seen that the tapered ends 'of the prongswill force the calk longitudinally from its seat, the upper ends of thetenon at either side of the bifurcation 14, being forced to approacheach other, through the action of the inclined walls 13 on thecorresponding walls 5 of the socket, until the narrow or contractedpoint of the socket is reached, when the calk may be readily removedvfrom the shoe.

By reason of the opposite inclination of the axles of the front and rearsockets, the calks, fitted into the same, are correspondingly inclined;that is, the toe calks are directed forwardly and the heel calksrearwardly, to provide a more solid bearing forthe shoe upon the ground.

The toe calks, as stated, may consist of two single calks, or the samemay be formed on a single base 7, as indicated in Fig. 6, the tenons inthis form being exactly the same as heretofore described and arranged inspaced relation on the said base 7 to be properly fitted into the spacedsockets 4 at'the toe portion of the shoe.

The heel andtoe calks are reversely arranged, as shown in Figs. land 2,so that the bearing edge of the extension 9 is in advance at the toe ofthe shoe, while those at the heel of the shoe are in the-rear thereof.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a simple, strong, and durablecalk for use at the toe or heel of a horseshoe has been provided, andthat the necessary features for receiving and holding said calk in theshoe may be easily formed during the proc ess of manufacturing saidshoe, the enlargements thereon having the sockets, being readilyproduced by a simple forging process, and that the calks themselves maybe similarly formed, thus greatly reducing the cost of production,

IVhat is claimed is '1. The combination with a metallic shoe providedwith a rectangular socket having bottom for a major portion of theirlength 1 and terminating at the top in outwardlyflared seats, of a calkcomprising a body member adapted to bear against the lower face of theshoe and having an upwardlytapering tenon of resilient materialextending therefrom and fitting the socket said tenon having at itsupper end a transverse V-shaped cleft between the flared seats of thesocket to permit the insertion or removal thereof.

2. The combination with a horseshoe hav ing sockets formed in the heeland toe portions thereof, each socket being rectangular in cross-sectionand having its walls converging towards the top and there terminating onits transversely opposite sides in outwardly-flared walls to constituteseats, of a plurality of calks, each comprising a body member adapted tobear against the lower face of the shoe and having a ground-engagingportion, an upstanding tenon formed on the body member and havingtapering sides to fit the socket in the shoe, said tenon being arrangedto one side of the center of the base and having a central V-shapedcleft at its upper end to provide resilient terminal arms, extensionsformed on the outer upper edges of the arms and having their lower facesbeveled and parallel to the cleft to be compressed when driven into thesocket of the, shoe and to spring outwardly and into the seats at theupper end of the socket to retain the calk in position.

of, the longitudinal axis of each socket being arranged at a slightangle to the upper face of, the shoe, each socket being square incross-section and having its walls tapering towards the upper face ofthe shoe and extending through the same, the longi tudinal wallsterminating on opposite transwall flush with one side edge of the baseto provide around three sides a shoulder adapt ed to bear against thelower side of the shoe, the two oppositely-disposed side portions of theshoulder being inclined forwardly and rearwardly-from the'center toprovide tapering recesses for the introduction, of a wedge-shaped toolfor forcing the tenon from the socket.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signa JOSEPH H. FREEMAN.

ture.

3. The combination with a horseshoe having sockets formed in the heeland toe there-

